Persistant Infection in Leg

[MELSMICE]

You would be surprised. A mom contacted DH the other day because her DS returned from a S. American country and had a lesion in his leg. Its a botfly larvae. You can see the little breathing hole and see it wiggling.
He told her that it is best to make a little incision so one can be sure of removing the whole thing; they are about an inch long and they are FAT!
No, he can't do that, he is going to "running camp" and the incision might bother him! I guess he can wait until it hatches! http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/botfly.html

Cute, isn't it?

I know it's OT, but that is one of the grossest things I have ever seen!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Well said, Dawn. Someone else said (not here) about this thread, "I think we're going to end up watching this woman die in front of our eyes". A bit blunt, but I'm beginning to think that it might just be true. I find this whole situation very sad.

I totally agree.

 

[jann1033]

without reading the rest of the posts, i have a chronic condition that causes leg ulcer that cause cellulitis..last bad bout i had symptoms pretty identical to yours except didnt' wait as long to go to the er ( knowing the problems i have had) but i was hospitalized for 5 days on iv antibiotic, another course of cipro when i came home and in bed for a month( off leg except to potty) not sure how much is due to my pvd/pad but i know it goes from "hole in ankle" stage to" massive infection stage" in hrs. so i wouldn't mess around with it..course this is a week old so either you are better or no longer with us
after read a page or 2 of comments
btw, you need to prop your leg above your heart so putting in a stack of files on your desk isn't high enough

 

[disneymom3]

I don't think anyone is being mean. I would describe it as frustration. There has been a concerted effort to offer suggestions, personal experiences, links to kennels, and they have been met with excuses. I think posters are frustrated and just wonder why someone wouldn't do more to help themselves, or why the people around them wouldn't rally to their aid.

Exactly! I don't understand the mindset of coming here and asking for advice and then rejecting it. I think as a whole the DIS is a very caring community and people are freaked out that this issue is not being taken care of more immediately. Calm and supportive posts urging medical care ASAP have not been heeded and so some are just getting harsh in the hope of getting through.

OP--please please do not wait to see if you get in to the appt by the end of the week. Google "bone infection" and see what you learn. It is not an issue of "no big deal."

 

[jann1033]

just read the whole thing,,,i can understand putting off going if you don't have insurance but do not see how you can put up with the pain intentionally so just wondering if it's as bad as it's been made out to be...partner can't take an emergency leave to come home, can't put the dogs in the kennel..i can't hardly stand to walk when i have cellulitis so not really seeing this ignoring it for so long, going to work and the grocery store, walking the dogs etc as an option, if that is what it is, much less a bone infection...something just ain't adding up here

 

[mcco5543]

Like Anne Frank I truly believe people are good at heart but I have to admit it IS adding up less and less...We haven't heard from the OP all day, lets hope she went to the ER after all and she's just stubborn and in denial as all get out.....(fingers croossed, hoping, wishing!) I hate it when I put my heart out and get suckered.

 

[cruisnfamily]

a bout of MRSA???

I'm working my way through reading this thread but I don't know what MRSA is. What is it?

 

[bamajill]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Here's the Mayo Clinic site about this dx
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735

 

[mickeysaver]

Deleted.....drama's over

 

[lovemygoofy]

Sooooooo, guess you still are not going to the ER?? You are going to keep waiting to see the doctor or get the insurance authorizations while the chances just keep increasing that you can loose your leg or even die. That's going to be a great birthday trip minus a leg or your life. I do hope that you do get some help at some point.

 

[DawnCt1]

I came home today to this email.....



This was my response......



You have no idea how ticked off I am right now. If there was any bit of lingering doubt that we needed to find a new doctor, it's gone. Gabby is so freaking mad.....I pity the punching bag at the gym that she is going to right now. lol

To those that think this is a hoax, it's not. Just remember, truth is stranger than fiction. I can't make this crap up, it's just life happening. Maggie

Again, Maggie, why would you communicate with your doctor's office by email? Email says to me, "not that important". Secondly, why haven't you gone to the ER? It may be "life happening" but you certainly have abdicated control. You really have little "right" to be ticked off right now. You have options but you have failed to exercize them. You continue to stay with a practice that hasn't served you well or that you can't communicate with. That is your choice.

 

[SandiH]

I've been lurking on this thread and one thing is becoming clear to me. I have no doubt that Maggie has something going on with her leg.

It doesn't however, seem to be nearly as bad as most of the posters are making it out to be. I would think that if it was life or even leg threatening, she would be in much more pain - not able to walk the dogs, go to work, go to the store, etc. I would hope that if it truly were as bad as a lot of the posters are thinking, I hope she would be a responsible adult and go to the ER or call an ambulance. No one has seen a picture, no one has seen Maggie. The leg is not better but it doesn't seem to be getting drastically worse. It's swollen because she's still on it. She doesn't have the fever, chills, vomiting, etc.

So although I would have stayed in the hospital until the Dr. wanted me to go home, figured out a way to take the best medication and would have been back at the Dr.and actually would have seen the Dr. and have stayed off of it - I'm not Maggie and I don't have her life. Only Maggie truly knows how bad it is or isn't and whether she should be going back to the ER.

It's her life, her leg, she's an adult. It's obvious that no matter what people tell her, she'll handle it her way (even though she asked for opinions). No one wants to see her get worse but it is her choice and her health. We can't make her do anything. Personal responsibility.

Maggie - good luck to you. I hope you are feeling better soon and it truly is just some swelling because for what ever reason, you haven't been able to stay off of it like you should.

 

[mickeysaver]

Deleted.....drama's over

 

[froglady]

Nevermind. It's "bad" enough for her to ***** and complain that it isn't being treated as an emergency, but not bad enough to really be one. OK

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't understand a lot about what's happening here, but one thing that I find unbelievable is the fact that the OP works for a doctor, who thinks her leg looks worse, but her boss hasn't called the OP's primary care doctor OR an ID doctor in her behalf! At the least, she should not let her work until it's cleared up. Why would a Pediatrician risk the possibility that she could get really sick at work? Instead, her boss continues to let her work?

She seems to have a town filled with incompetent health care professionals, if half of what she's saying is true.

Its unbelievable that they are all "grouped together" but what else is one to believe?

 

[SandiH]

Its unbelievable that they are all "grouped together" but what else is one to believe?

HIPPA laws - she would have to OK the employer to do that and apparently she hasn't. - Again, it's her choice.

 

[DawnCt1]

HIPPA laws - she would have to OK the employer to do that and apparently she hasn't. - Again, it's her choice.

But again, if one has such a serious condition that her boss takes notice of it, and comments upon, it is reasonable to assume that her boss would counsel her on the wisdom of appropriate followup care and offer to expedite further treatment. Of course it is up to her but why would anyone not avail themselves of such an opportunity? That is not reasonable.

 

[mickeysaver]

Deleted.....drama's over

 

[SandiH]

But again, if one has such a serious condition that her boss takes notice of it, and comments upon, it is reasonable to assume that her boss would counsel her on the wisdom of appropriate followup care and offer to expedite further treatment. Of course it is up to her but why would anyone not avail themselves of such an opportunity? That is not reasonable.

I totally agree with you Dawn. I think most of what she's done has NOT been reasonable. I would (as I assume most of us would) avail ourselves to every opportunity imaginable.

And to say again, perhaps it's not nearly as serious as we all think.

 

[bamajill]

I think when you mentioned that the physician you worked for felt the infection might be in the bone, well...I guess we believed it was that much worse. Now you are saying it is much better than it has been ?

I'm glad it is better. I hope that it turns out to be nothing but the swelling, like your gal Deb says.